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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bat — the animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. board — a committee
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — in control
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. snap — to click
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mug — a face
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com